Game and playing piece therefor



- R. c. HINSEN A GAME AND PLAYING PIECE. THEREFOR March 21-, 1939.

Filed April 28 1938 f llllllll Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

I This invention relates to games and more particularly to a ball or playing piece for use by children and other persons participating in the game.

'I'he object of the invention is to provide a game which is both entertaining and educational in character and which will provide an amusing diversion for grown ups as well as children while at the same time enabling the players to perform different mathematical calculations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a playing piece in the form of a cluster of resilient balls, each ball having a distinctive color and having a numeral printed or otherwise represented thereon so that, when the playing piece is rolled or bounced over a flat surface and comes to rest, the numerals indicating the number of points made by the player rolling the ball will be readily visible to all of the other players.

A further object is to so assemble and unite the individual balls comprising the cluster that said balls will form a balanced symmetrical figure with three of said balls constituting the base thereof and another three balls facing upwardly to permit a player to readily ascertain from the numerals on the uppermost balls the number of points he made in any given throw of the ball.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the ball or playing piece used in connection with the game,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing how the balls are held together, and

Figure 4 is a detail view showing a modified form of the invention.

The improved playing piece or projectile used in playing the game comprises a series of individual resilient balls 5, preferably six in number and arranged in the form of a balanced symmetrical figure or cluster, as best shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. The individual balls 5 may be formed of solid or sponge rubber or may be filled with air as desired, the purpose being to arrange the individual balls in such a manner that, when properly assembled and united, the projectile thus formed can be rolled or bounced over the surface of a table or other fiat support when playing the game. Each ball 5 is painted or otherwise provided with a distinctive color so that, when the projectile is thrown into the air or rolled over a flat surface, the colors will tend to blend and thus produce a pleasing effect. Each ball 5 also has conspicuously displayed thereon a designating numeral, indicated at 6, and as there are preferably six balls in the cluster the balls will be consecutively numbered from 1 to 6, as will be readily understood. Extending through the rubber balls 5 and anchored in the outer surfaces thereof in any suitable manner are connecting members 1, preferably in the form of binding or tie cords, the balls being arranged in pairs and each pair being connected by a binding cord 1. The binding cord 1 of one pair of balls intersects and extends under the binding cord of an adjacent pair of balls at the center of the cluster, as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, so that the several balls will have contact with each other and be firmly held in assembled position. If desired, however, instead of connecting the several balls by the binding cords I, said balls may be vulcanized, cemented or otherwise rigidly secured together, as indicated at 8 in Figure 4 of the drawing, and it is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to any particular manner of uniting the balls of the cluster.

It will here be noted that irrespective of the position the cluster of balls comprising the playing piece may take after it is rolled on a table or other playing surface, three of said balls will always bear against said playing surface while the other three balls will project upwardly so that the numerals on the latter three balls are always visible to the various players. It will, furthermore, be noted that, owing tothe construction and configuration of the playing piece, the periphery thereof presents an irregular surface so that it can be conveniently grasped in the hand and tossed from one child to the other without danger of slipping and during this tossing operation the difierent colors on the balls will blend and present an attractive pleasing effect.

In playing the game the first player grasps the projectile and rolls or bounces the same over a flat surface, such as a table or the like, and when the projectile comes to rest the numerals on the uppermost three balls are added together and. the sum of these numerals will indicate the number of points made by that particular player. If desired, however, the numerals on the uppermost three balls may be multiplied to obtain the desired number of points and in some cases two of the higher numerals on the uppermost three balls may be added together and the lower numeral on the third ball substrated, the result being the number of points the player is entitled to. It will thus be seen that the device is educational in character inasmuch as problems in addition as well as substraction and multiplication can be performed while playing the game, 7

thereby assisting in familiarizing children in performing various arithmetical problems. It will, of'course, be understood that after the first player rolls or bounces the cluster and the points secured by his play have been duly credited to him thenext player will, in turn, roll or bounce the ball and so on until all the players have had their turn and the player having the highest number of points to his credit wins the game. The playing piece is light in weight and, inasmuch as it is soft and resilient, will not hurt the players should they be struck therewith when pitching the ball and will not scratch "or otherwise mar the finish of a highly polished table or other surface used as a playing field. i

It will of course, "be understood that the devices may be made indifferent sizes and shapes and any desired number of balls may be assembled provided at least three of saidballs constitute the 'baseof the ball when the latter comes to rest after eachplay,

"Having thus described the invention, what is claimed ;as new is:

'1. A playing piece for games comprising a plurality of resilient balls arranged in pairs to forrna symmetricalfigure, each pair being connectedby a bindingelementand all of the binding elements intersecting, certain of said balls constituting a base for the symmetrical figure.

2, A playing-piece for games comprising a plurality of separable units, each consisting of a pair of ba1ls,-and a fiexiblestrand carried by and ex- 2,151',os0 a. tending between the pairs of balls, the strands of each unit crossing each other at substantially right angles and disposing the balls in interlocking engagement to define a cluster,- I

3. A playing piece for games comprising a plu-' rality of balls arranged in tiers to form a compact cluster, each ball having contacting engagement with a pluralityof adjoining balls, and said balls being united in pairs by connecting mem: bers extending through the cluster, each pair and its connecting member being removable from' the cluster.

4. A playing piece for games comprising a plu- "ra'lity of balls arranged in a compact cluster, each ballbeingi'ihiclo'se contacting engagement with a plurality oi acljoining balls and disposed in stag- ""gered relation thereto, and binding cords connectin'gt said-balls-in-pairs and extending through the cluster in crossing relation to each other.

'5. 'n 'playing piece for games comprising a plum mbe fe nd ne h ou t e ql t in-cross d relation to the binding'member of other pairs of balls, m

A a eiiort aih fci r ie inlul ypf i r si n bal arr n d in irs 0;1

a symmetr ca fi ur c pa r :beinemnnefied y i ims' lem i a d-bei sep rab e f om i rra r o t w th he-binqinselem' t andsall oi the bindingelements intersecting at substantiallyithecenter of theifigure. ,7

RALPH .c. 

